Eureka! Institutional Repository

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate nutrient intakes from the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, comparing them with the European and American recommended intakes set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Institute of Medicine (IoM). Methodology: The data about dietary lifestyle from the EPIC study, from a sample of 519,978 participants from 10 European countries, were collected via the Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs). Results: There are some nutrients that are within the recommended ranges and some others that do not meet the recommendations. Those that do not meet the minimum recommendations include water, fiber, magnesium, potassium, copper, fluoride, choline, vitamin E, vitamin D, total saturated fatty acids and fatty acid ALA. Moreover, there are certain nutrients whose intakes exceed the recommended Upper Level. These are the following: niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin A and all the minerals except potassium. Conclusions: In order to have a healthy life without the side effects of the inadequacy of these nutrients, we should consume more foods containing high quantities of these for which their intake is below the recommendation, such as fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts, whole grains, vegetable oils and milk. It is, also, vital to reduce the consumption of certain foods, such as cream, butter, fatty meats, palm oil, eggs, cheese, lean bacon and processed foods, in order to avoid health issues due to the chronic overconsumprion of certain nutrients